Lauren Mae Beauty

[sofisticat]

I never see the point of elevating a brand so much that you'll automatically buy it just because there's a launch. Even Pat McGrath (Auntie Pat!!! Lol), I think if you're a "true" fan, you should have no problem pointing out flaws or what launches were fails. It seems like Lauren is just a follower, a little sheep, which I find interesting because the classically trained MUAs on the platform don't seem to be as easily swayed with brands, even ones they like (e.g. Robert Welsh, Sam R).

As far as her weight, I think she's just short (don't know how tall she actually is, but she "reads" as short to me) and apple shaped; also, she clearly doesn't know how to dress herself. Half the time, it looks like she rolled out of bed, complete with requisite poop bun, or when she does try the blouses she wears are loud and unflattering. Some of the foundations she's swatched are also off. Why can these BGs never shade match properly??

[DrowningInMelancholy]

I never see the point of elevating a brand so much that you'll automatically buy it just because there's a launch. Even Pat McGrath (Auntie Pat!!! Lol), I think if you're a "true" fan, you should have no problem pointing out flaws or what launches were fails. It seems like Lauren is just a follower, a little sheep, which I find interesting because the classically trained MUAs on the platform don't seem to be as easily swayed with brands, even ones they like (e.g. Robert Welsh, Sam R).

As far as her weight, I think she's just short (don't know how tall she actually is, but she "reads" as short to me) and apple shaped; also, she clearly doesn't know how to dress herself. Half the time, it looks like she rolled out of bed, complete with requisite poop bun, or when she does try the blouses she wears are loud and unflattering. Some of the foundations she's swatched are also off. Why can these BGs never shade match properly??

They're more concerneed with staying on the PR list rather than giving honest reviews to their audience. I know for sure that some of my favorite brands have products that don't wow me and that's okay; not everything is going to be a hit. Lauren is def a sheep and she is posied as an "intelligent" figure which she is not.

[sofisticat]

She just did a vlog where she's basically doing chores. A palette declu-reorganization, a "sneaky" grwm, and brush cleaning - which was the only thing I was interested in. I'm really Type A about cleaning my brushes and like to watch cleaning videos from time to time, so I was curious about her cleaning method especially since she's admitted that she doesn't clean her brushes very often.

She had the most stupid way of cleaning, Istg. She had two bowls of water (to help save on water, y'all!) and she would dip in the first bowl, clean the brush, rinse in the second bowl and set it to the side until she had a bigger stack to properly rinse them out. Like, ignoring for a moment that water waste on an individual level doesn't compare to water waste that large companies/brands engage in (not to mention water pollution), it just seemed stupid to keep dipping the brushes in increasingly dirty water for a rinse. And then she gave a "pro tip" in which she squashed the brush down onto a paper towel to get out the excess water.

I just. Like, way to ruin the shape of your brushes that way. Ahhhhh. I know this is super nitpicky, but I was seriously triggered. Ugh. And then she went to put them back in her stupid brush holder with the moon design that she doesn't find useful because the brushes always end up falling because of how the package is designed, so she added in beads/rocks and she still doesn't like it. This time because of the sound/feeling of pushing the brush in, and I just want to slap her.

Also, because I'm being dramatic, I would like to add that I'm surprised she doesn't spot clean. It would really help her lazy ass. Also, I just don't get these BGs who never clean their brushes. The few times I didn't spot clean well enough, I ended up with a light transfer of old product (no biggie cause it was left over shimmer, but still). How she doesn't end up getting transfer is beyond me and I think it's shameful that a trained MUA isn't better at keeping her products clean and sanitized.

She was also supposed to clean SOME of her palettes but that didn't end up happening.

Ugh.

[Angel0925]

Actually watching that vlog now. Haven't gotten to the brush cleaning yet, but I popped over for a different reason. So, I'm all for body positivity and being confident in your skin, but imo there's a fine line you need to walk. Being confident and self-assured can very quickly turn into sounding like you are all about your looks and you just sound like an vain, narcissistic, self-complimenting person that's hiding something. I've noticed over the past few months that Lauren has started kinda going over board with complimenting herself to the point where it kinda sounds like she's fishing for compliments and now she doesn't sound confident at all, but instead she sounds super insecure and like she's over compensating.

"Don't I look so pretty?"

"I'm gonna zoom you in so you can see what my skin looks like. Hmm.. beautiful, actually..."

"I look so beautiful I just wanna go out now and get a coffee so the world can see me."

All of this was said within 5 minutes at the end of her GRWM. Now.. yes, I know she's probably joking. Thing is, jokes are supposed to be funny and this ain't it. It's actually really off-putting (at least to me it is.) and the kicker is, her skin did look nice enough (I guess), but damn, how many times are you gonna bring it up Lauren? Who you trying to convince? Us or yourself?

[chaichai]

At first, I thought the sudden Natasha Denona and high-end perfume hoarding was financially irresponsible, but considering it happened at 100K, she could have been offered a big dollar contract on the spot or broke into a fantastic adsense bracket or did whatever makes youtubers rich. Then I was more understanding of the change. Get that fancy dream haul with the Baccarat and Gold palette then go back to normal videos. But here she is, posting yet another boring blind buy perfume haul. Is this the new normal? Just tons of expensive, barely used stuff then asking for comments with more recommendations of expensive stuff to barely use? She used to be a must-watch for me, but meh.



Also really not into how the vibrant orange full face of makeup looks with her faded pink hair and army green pajamas. Surely there's a muted orange that complements the laid-back vibes in 140+ palettes.

[Rabidosky69]

I don’t think I have enjoyed any of her recent videos and rolled my eyes when I saw she was posting another fragrance video. She is just like all the other YouTubers now and I feel she has lost what made her at least a little unique.

[Angel0925]

She's said that she's gonna post perfume videos every Sunday. Personally, I find perfume videos super boring so I never watch them, but yikes.. she looks horrible in that screen grab.

[sofisticat]

She's really becoming a lot like Theresa is Dead, imo. I agree about the influx of money and recent purchases, I think she went kind of wild (been there, lol). I think probably her first few perfume videos did well and so she's going with it/it feeds into what she already likes to do - spend. I liked the initial video but subsequent ones show she doesn't really pause to reflect on purchases and how they sit with her. It could also be that my personal tastes aren't vibing. I'm more of a seasonal scent sort of person and like having a signature scent. I've also worked with fragrances enough, if at a lower price scale (former BBW worker, lol) that I know somewhat how to layer scents in a flattering way. Also, with your own body chemistry, blind buys are tricky because you need to know the scent profiles and even then it can shift on you.

I don't understand the point of weekly videos for perfume. Is she going to just keep getting new ones? That seems pointless and incredibly wasteful since you can't use scents in the same way as makeup (wiping it off and starting again). Idk, it seems really tone deaf considering what she's known for, content-wise. And I've seen a handful of comments on the reddit thread even bring this up. They've noticed the change in her content and they don't really like it.

And since she doesn't really engage with her comment section, I'm curious to see when she'll figure out that people aren't liking her sudden turn since it's reading as hypocritical.

Also, again, I don't understand how a professionally trained MUA doesn't understand color theory. This is a look I would expect from someone like Annette, or Angelica. Sure, sure wear what you want but you'd think she would know to pick colors more flattering for her semi-permanent look (i.e. pink hair). I currently have periwinkle hair and there are color stories I avoid because it'll just clash badly. It's not that hard to figure out because your hair frames your face and affects how your skintone appears. Then again, her sense of style is ... unique in the first place.

[Angel0925]

This is a look I would expect from someone like Annette...

Then again, her sense of style is ... unique in the first place.

Even Annette has said in videos that she tries to pick makeup that doesn't clash with her hair colors. (Like that god awful green) Sure, a lot of times she still fails, but at least she tries and she doesn't have the formal training Lauren does.

Also, calling her style "unique" is probably the nicest thing I've read on this platform Thanks for the chuckle!

Lauren used to be someone with innovative, original content. Plus, when she was working as a makeup artist she had an opportunity to learn new things to show us. She once did a video showing how you could use basic things to do makeup effects like bruises or dirty faces. Idk, she was just different. Now she just comes across as boringly basic.

Last thing that just occurred to me, she's fake as hell. Anyone see when she mentioned that Kelly Gooch told her that Drew Barrymore followed her on IG? She said that she had no idea about it and I don't buy that for one second. Chick really tried to do a humble brag and failed miserably. Tbh, the thing that grossed me out the most about it was that she's just trying to manipulate her audience into thinking she's SOOO relatable and down to earth while simultaneously going on these shopping binges. So not gonna be surprised when she starts shopping the fashion house brands. I can already see her heading down that road. "Idk you guuuys... I just had to find out for myself how good the formula is!"

[soul reaper]

Also really not into how the vibrant orange full face of makeup looks with her faded pink hair and army green pajamas. Surely there's a muted orange that complements the laid-back vibes in 140+ palettes.

What even is that dumpster fire look? If she’s going to have pink hair, the orange would look better as an accent incorporated into a pink eye look. There isn’t even any pink in that orange; at least a coral color wouldn’t clash so harshly with her hair. The shirt can’t be saved. Burn it.

[sofisticat]

This is a look I would expect from someone like Annette...

Then again, her sense of style is ... unique in the first place.

Even Annette has said in videos that she tries to pick makeup that doesn't clash with her hair colors. (Like that god awful green) Sure, a lot of times she still fails, but at least she tries and she doesn't have the formal training Lauren does.

Also, calling her style "unique" is probably the nicest thing I've read on this platform Thanks for the chuckle!

Lauren used to be someone with innovative, original content. Plus, when she was working as a makeup artist she had an opportunity to learn new things to show us. She once did a video showing how you could use basic things to do makeup effects like bruises or dirty faces. Idk, she was just different. Now she just comes across as boringly basic.

Last thing that just occurred to me, she's fake as hell. Anyone see when she mentioned that Kelly Gooch told her that Drew Barrymore followed her on IG? She said that she had no idea about it and I don't buy that for one second. Chick really tried to do a humble brag and failed miserably. Tbh, the thing that grossed me out the most about it was that she's just trying to manipulate her audience into thinking she's SOOO relatable and down to earth while simultaneously going on these shopping binges. So not gonna be surprised when she starts shopping the fashion house brands. I can already see her heading down that road. "Idk you guuuys... I just had to find out for myself how good the formula is!"

Hehehehehe, I mean. Am I wrong? She always looks like she got dressed in the dark. I think her main style is the t-shirt aesthetic but she tries to dress herself up with those tragic prairie prints. There was also this rather odd number with a deep neckline, front and back, that tied together. This was from monthsssss ago and I truly do not know how else to describe it but it was garish. I think she just doesn't know how to dress herself and the only other person she could turn to is her hubby and he looks like he also rolled out of bed half the time as well.

And yesssss, I heard that comment! It was said in such an HLP-esque fashion that I actually had to pause (I listen to her as background noise) and replay it. Because it wasn't an, "omg guise! can you believe!?" sort of reaction but more of a confuzzled, slightly amused reaction and it came across as try hard to me. She's sitting at 12.9k subs on ig and I just have a hard time believing that she had NO CLUE that a celebrity with a popular makeup brand was following her.

[sofisticat]

Also! Saw this on pinterest. A nice look that would flatter her pink hair.

pink-and-orange.png

And if she wanted to add shimmer (cause she loves being a fallout queen), she easily could with this look.

[sygarcraft]

I just wish she would stop trying to make the middle part happen. It's not going to happen for her.

[sofisticat]

It just adds emphasis that her hair is flat and thin. Do these BGs not know how to tease hair? My mom used to do that all the time to add fullness to her look. If she would just do a few small tweaks, her hair would look so much better.

[Secondfavorite]

She just put out a dupe video for certain palettes using single eyeshadows and one palette she was duping was the Urban Decay Wild Greens... I think her version (or atleast her swatches) look fugly lol it actually makes me want to get the wild greens palette.

[sofisticat]

I hate how she swatches. They're never good, and she never cleans her hand off well enough so there's always a snail trail of glitter left over from whatever shimmer she dug her paw into. Also, some of the shades swatched terribly; I know that swatches aren't everything but I do think you can tell how it's going to perform for mattes (at least in my experience), so that Copasetic swatch is especially disappointing since I've been wanting to try them out for a while, and that light green was patchy af.

I've been eyeing the palette in the first place, and now I'm also thinking about it more. Lol. Someone else I was watching (can't recall who now) was also bitching about the palette and I just don't get why? UD is pulling more safe now, their haydays of being groundbreaking are over, and that's fine but I think I would rather buy their palette and have a bunch of consistent, if safe shades, than spend probably twice that amount for some patchy looking indie shades (lol, she even was surprised that the UD palette still looked better than her picks).

I got that MAC palette as well, and did sort of agree with her regarding the mattes. Mainly because I'm not used to that cream-to-matte formula and it comes across as very faint. The pinks worked well, but that green was verrrrry light on me. Now I want to dig into it again and really work with those shades. Lol. Also, her complaints about this palette make no sense to me since normally satin-y, glossy shades are what she prefers when she does take a break from shimmers. Maybe the formula was too hard for her to use? But ND uses cream-to-matte formulas as well??

[chaichai]

Phone screenshots of swatches

(Urban Decay Wild Greens, MAC Tempting Fate, Dose of Colors Donald & Daisy Eyeshadow + Bronzer Palette. Left = dupe)

First off, yay Singles Week and lol at placing it near Valentine's.

It's so basic (the creative teenager version of basic) and objectifyingly consumeristic to require every palette to be a rainbow palette and every shade to have max stats and pure unfiltered hue. Wild Greens is pretty because it's colorful but with some nuance and subtlety that will play well on the eyes, same as how she trashed Triochrome but now always uses the unique tones from it. I don't like her version either. Did she really say she's taking her dupes traveling? And she chose the patchy color just so the palette pops? Girl, no...

With the MAC, the original seems to have that secondary colors trinity scheme going on, so I wish she found any green that works for her instead of reverting to gold. The Dose one is a cutie color story that she basically expanded, so it looks fine besides maybe the loud yellow-gold. (Every palette needs a gold apparently. Pat McGrath collectorism foreshadow?) I usually like something about her color stories and deviations, but these and the ND ones lack coherency and "the vision." She needs her prose back so she can be back on vacation in Limoncello or be in a forest and be a witch but also be evil while choosing her colors.

She also said she was expecting the moondust formula out of a modern UD palette. Duh no? I've heard even the reformulated moondust doesn't compare to the original. Does she (and honestly her whole circle) live her whole makeup life based on Trendmood snaps and online shopping and never swatch in-store? That'd be obvious IRL just looking at the pans. I'm not sure where she moved, but she used to be in LA where there must be a Sephora on every street corner.

[sofisticat]

Does she (and honestly her whole circle) live her whole makeup life based on Trendmood snaps and online shopping and never swatch in-store?

Honestly, it seems like it whenever they talk about new releases. It's especially frustrating (and hilarious) because Trendmood is known for taking less than stellar swatches/photos, herself. If you compare some of the Colourpop releases, you'll see color discrepancies from where Trendmood has fudged with the color saturation.

And I don't understand why you wouldn't go to the store to get a more accurate look. Tina/The Fancy Face will do that and I find her duping videos to be much better done; she'll also include looks. Didn't Lauren used to do the same? It seems like she's fallen out of love with doing that atm, but knows these videos are popular with her viewers because these videos have been rather lazily put together imo. I didn't care for her Limoncello dupe but at least her reasoning for it made a little more sense. I really wasn't clear on what she was trying to accomplish here.

[chaichai]

Tbh, I remember Lauren always basing dupes on online pictures, especially chronically misrepresentative brand pics or Trendmood's. She's referenced a few different insta swatchers at best. I've only watched since the last time she had pink hair like 2 years ago, though. It was causing her to be way off even back for the ABH Norvina dupe (a palette I own and know well). Her comments had a few complaints about that.

She's commented that she likes online shopping better because it feels awkward to browse back and forth in-store and she'd be unwilling to buy as many at a time. Lol I browse and swatch everything. It's okay to shop very indecisively, or at least they let me get away with covering my full arm in every variation of my current makeup want. Beats buying a stack of regrets.

[chaichai]

Double, but you meant looks not in-store comparisons. I missed the looks, too! They are such an important part of making a custom palette, and she always did at least one.